Book Review: El Deafo

The graphic novel, "El Deafo" is an autobiographical story about author Cece Bell's experience with going deaf at age 4. Written from the perspective of Cece, we get an inside peek at how it felt for this young girl to confront her loss of hearing, the strategies presented to her, and friendships. She adopts a secret identity as El Deafo when she decides the contraption she must use to hear her teacher is a super power. She often calls on her inner superhero to navigate difficult social situations.

The story is sweet, and relatable for anyone who is or has been a kid dealing with embarrassment, fitting in, and a first crush. The hearing loss details are a bonus.